Police are investigating whether Gritty punched a kid; expectations vs. reality when it comes to getting out of prison | Morning Newsletter
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Detectives are investigating the alleged fury of the furry orange mascot who has become Philly’s beloved Gritty. Yes, this is real, you’re not still dreaming.
Elsewhere in the news, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney became basically anonymous as he campaigned for Elizabeth Warren in New Hampshire. Also, after 21 years of incarceration, a man’s journey to find his way following exoneration showcases the difficulty of readjusting to life on the outside. And the future of the now-shuttered oil refinery in South Philly might be getting clearer.
— Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
In May 2019, Terrance Lewis calculated that he’d been in prison for 21 years, five months, five days, 11 hours. That was more than half the 41-year-old’s life. That month, a Philadelphia judge unexpectedly overturned his conviction for a 1996 murder and ordered him released. Suddenly, Lewis was free.
Now, eight months later, the whirlwind hasn’t stopped. There has been joy, anxiety, obligations, and more. Lewis is one of 2,500 people exonerated nationwide since 1989, and his journey exemplifies the struggle to reclaim what was taken from them. Pennsylvania is one of 33 states that do not provide any compensation for people who have been wrongly incarcerated.
“It’s nice to get out of your city sometimes. Everyone’s always at you for something, complaining about something,” Philly’s mayor told a group of seniors in Laconia, N.H. He was there campaigning for Elizabeth Warren, the senator from Massachusetts seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.
Being a political surrogate can be an exercise in humility, my colleague Julia Terruso wrote about the trip. Kenney never spoke to a group larger than 12 people. Nearly all of his calls to fellow Democratic mayors in the state went unanswered. While it’s unclear whether he made an impact on voters’ decisions, at least one person liked what she saw in him. “I liked him. I did,” the owner of an environmentally friendly boutique said of Kenney. “He seemed, like, honest behind his eyes.”
The way Chris Greenwell tells the story, his son gave the Flyers mascot a playful pat on the head during a photo session at an event exclusive to Flyers season-ticket holders. Then, as the 13-year-old walked away, Greenwell says, the mascot the Flyers describe as having “bully” tendencies “took a running start,” and “punched my son as hard as he could.”
Greenwell and the Flyers’ parent company couldn’t come to an agreement after the franchise’s investigation found nothing to support Greenwell’s claim. Now, Greenwell is getting the police involved. A police spokesperson described the case as an alleged “physical assault" involving a “13 year old white male and Flyers mascot Gritty.” The investigation is ongoing, according to police.
What you need to know today
Gov. Tom Wolf is proposing a $5.1 million funding boost to the state’s oversight of residential juvenile programs. The move is coming after my colleague investigated child abuse at the nation’s oldest reform school and Pennsylvania’s failure to both detect and stop it.
For a decade, the Pennsylvania State Police had an agreement to collect data on its hundreds of thousands of traffic stops each year. For reasons that are still unclear, the police ended the research partnership. Spotlight PA reports that the research warned of potential racial bias in vehicle searches before the study ended.
The firm that won an auction to acquire the bankrupt South Philly oil refinery aims to move quickly to clean up the site and redevelop it into a mixed-use industrial facility.
Philadelphia Museum of Art CEO Timothy Rub offered an apology to museum workers yesterday during a town hall staff meeting, the first such meeting following the allegations that surfaced involving the behavior of a former manager at the museum.
The 7-year-old girl from Guatemala who has spent a record 200-plus days at the Berks County immigration detention center will not be able to leave with her father. A federal judge ruled yesterday that the family “must show more than noble goals and an empathetic case” to win their joint release.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday in a landmark case about public funding for religious schools. My colleague dug into what the case could mean for Pennsylvania.
Impeachment trial, Day 2: The Senate began hearing opening arguments yesterday in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. Democrats had the first chance to make their case that Trump abused his presidential power and should be removed from office.
Through your eyes | #OurPhilly
Gosh, I really have to get to the top of City Hall. This view is making me jealous. Great pic, @twistedphilly!
Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out!
That’s interesting
🍿An Upper Dublin High grad’s day job is crunching numbers for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ analytics group. But every winter, he puts his math skills to the test in predicting the Oscars.
🍕The stromboli can trace its roots to Delaware County. But how did the meat-filled Italian sandwich that’s now a staple at pizza shops get that word for its name?
🐶Your emotional-support animal might not be allowed on airplanes anymore. The Department of Transportation announced yesterday that it’s proposing letting airlines exclude some animals and limiting the definition of service animals.
⚾This week’s announcement marked another year that former Phillies ace Curt Schilling will be waiting for a Hall of Fame election. Sports columnist Bob Ford writes that he deserves to get in.
📺Fans shared their memories of Gene London, the Philly children’s TV host who died this week.
😻The cat who made an East Passyunk CVS his makeshift home has been moved into the care of foster parents. But he’s still on the lookout for his “forever home.”
Opinions
“Like laws that require gun owners to store their firearms safely, reporting of lost and stolen firearms to prevent straw purchases would save lives without infringing on anyone’s Second Amendment rights.” — the Inquirer Editorial Board about safely stored guns and reporting of lost and stolen firearms.
Although the Ritz at the Bourse is going to close, it doesn’t signal the end of movie theaters, writes Carrie Rickey, a former Inquirer film critic.
Solomon Jones writes about something he wants to make clear: limiting gun purchases is not slavery, as some of the gun rights ralliers in Richmond, Va. claimed this week.
What we’re reading
Billy Penn shared a bit of history about why Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey hosts the Senate’s candy stash. He features some local goodies, and he made sure he was well-stocked for the impeachment trial.
ESPN put together a package of all 53 Super Bowl rings, with 53 stories associated with each.
Only two people have ever hiked the Great Western Loop in a calendar year. But Outside reports that two veterans are assembling a 12-person team to tackle the hike that goes through the western United States.
Your Daily Dose of | Jumbotrons
A Fishtown man is on a mission. He’s going to 30 NBA games in 30 days. Impressive? Sure. But he’s taking it a step farther: He’s trying to get on every team’s jumbotron. And he’s nearly there.